A remotely operating vehicle for picking up storage bins from a storage system is known. A detailed description of a relevant prior art storage system and remotely operating vehicles are given in WO 98/49075, WO2014/090684 and WO 2015/104263. More specifically the prior art storage system comprises a three dimensional storage grid containing storage bins that are stacked on top of each other to a certain height. The storage grid is normally constructed as aluminium columns or cells interconnected by top rails and a base. The storage grid may further include a plurality of horizontally orientated support beams of aluminium. A number of remotely operated vehicles, or robots, are arranged on the top rails. Each vehicle is equipped with a lift for picking up, carrying, and placing bins that are stored inside the storage grid. A complete prior art storage system and the storage grid is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. The storage system 13 includes a plurality of remotely operating vehicles 1 configured to move on the dedicated supporting rails 7 of the storage grid 12 and to receive and transport a storage bin 14 from a storage column/cell 11 within the grid structure 5.
In such storage grids foreign debris like dust builds up on or within the grid structure, rails and base. Furthermore, other kinds of foreign debris like dirt may build up due to spillages from bins containing fluids and/or organic matter (such as food products). Also, the vehicles themselves may cause accumulation of foreign debris on or within the storage grid. It is therefore a need for a solution that enables cleaning of the storage grid.
Traditionally storage grids of the above mentioned type are cleaned manually, causing an undesired halt in the operation of the storage system in order for a person to access the storage grid for cleaning. The efficiency of the system is therefore reduced significantly whenever cleaning is performed.
A robotic service device for cleaning rails of a storage system is known from WO 2015/140216 A1, wherein the service device is provided with cleaning means like brushes to clean the rails. Since the cleaning means are attached between the wheels of the service device, the prior art solution does not allow cleaning of the grid structure or the base/floor of the storage grid.
It is therefore a need for a method and a device which enables an efficient and non-interrupting cleaning of foreign debris from the storage grid.